As former Vice President Joe Biden continues to shore up his presidential campaign, there is a debate among staff about whether his VP pick should be Black or left leaning, Politico reported.
Biden has committed to picking a woman as his VP, but which woman remains to be seen. Former presidential rivals Sens. Warren, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar; as well as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Florida Rep. Val Demings, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (who has publicly been campaigning for the job) have all been named as potential picks.
While the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has received pressure to select a Black woman from heavyweight Democratic lawmakers like South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, others believe he needs to win over progressive voters by selecting someone like Elizabeth Warren.
“I certainly agree with my colleagues who have said a woman of color, but specifically an African-American woman,” North Carolina Rep. Alma Adams told CBS News. “Knowing the support that we have always given to this party. We have carried this party for as long as I can remember.”
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Admittedly, being Black and left leaning aren’t mutually exclusive, but the debate is said to be over which to prioritize if necessary. Each potential pick brings their strengths and weaknesses to the race.
“Donors have known about her for a decade,” one strategist said about Demings. She’s a “superstar fundraiser” longtime Hillary Clinton advisor Philippe Reines said to the then-presidential candidate of Warren in 2016.
Some already have internal party supporters lobbying for them and against their competition. “There are definitely internal and external battles over who’s going to leak the most sh*t on people,” one Democratic strategist said.
According to a survey by Data for Progress, Warren has the most support as the best running mate for Biden, reported MSN. She has stated publicly she would accept if offered the position.
Biden announced his vice-presidential selection committee Thursday, according to USA Today. It includes four co-chairs: former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd; U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; and Cynthia Hogan, former White House and Senate counsel to Biden.
The. Campaign said it hopes to make a selection by July.
